Fresh Clashes Between Police and Refugees on Greek Island

The island of Lesbos in Greece was the scene of fresh clashes on Monday night between police forces and refugees who stormed a government ship; a situation that officials have described as being 'on the brink of explosion.' According to AFP, dozens of coast guard and police forces, equipped with batons, clashed with a crowd of nearly 2,500 refugees. The security forces aimed to prevent the influx of refugees onto a government ship that was en route to Athens. Greece and Italy are the main entry points for boat refugees trying to reach Europe from North Africa. In recent months, dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of them have drowned on their way, while both Greece and Italy have repeatedly warned about the lack of facilities and the increasing number of refugees. The island of Lesbos is home to nearly 85,000 refugees, many of whom have fled the Syrian war. One refugee told AFP that some of them have been on the island for two weeks and that 'the government does not care.' Meanwhile, Greek officials have expressed concern that the critical situation may spiral out of control. A senior official from Greece's Ministry of Interior told the radio station 'Vima' that the port of Mytilene is currently congested with 15,000 to 17,000 refugees, and the situation is nearing a 'breaking point.' The situation on the island of Lesbos has been described as alarming. Many refugees heading to Europe aim to reach the wealthier countries in the west and north of the continent, which is why they gather around entry points like Greece or Hungary, near ports and stations, to board boats or trains and continue their journey. Before the recent clashes on the island of Lesbos, on Monday, hundreds of refugees, tired of waiting for buses, broke through police lines at the Hungarian border with Serbia and set off on foot towards Budapest.